Somebody That I Used To Know
by EMPG22HoPe
Summary: A praetor to praetor talk between Jason and Reyna, or so they thought it'd end up that way.


**{Somebody That I Used To Know}**

_Have your **"friends" **collect your records and then change your number._

* * *

"You have it rough, don't you, Reyna?" Dakota's voice was slurry and laced with the smell of Kool-Aid that has thrice the sugar level. The praetor cringed at the centurion of the Fifth Cohort with much disgust as she does to every Roman demi-god losing their selves towards the afternoon. Everyone seemed to bask in the arrival of the Greeks with much enthusiasm, or, that's what she thought. Perhaps it was just a facade, but deep down she knew that her heroes are prepped in all ways possible in case of distraught, regardless how euphoric they seem from afar.

Reyna narrowed her brows at the Dakota as her mere reply. She wasn't in the mood to speak, much less discuss further information with the Greeks about the exchange of Camp leaders. All she wished to do was to get back to her room, try to ignore the growing mountain of paperwork that was supposedly shouldered for two and lose herself in the abyss of sweet slumber. But no, she's stuck there, coldly addressing anyone that was attempting to piss her off at one point and staring blankly at the cheery faces of every demi-god in the room.

Oh, the arrival of the Greeks was both a phenomena as well as a vicinity of war. Her first attempts were to order the Romans to attack and damn right; she didn't care if Jason Grace was there. She had lead her mistrust to Greeks a long time ago and that time was no different from any other. It only had to take Percy's calming reverence, Dakota's imperceptibly helpful enthusiasm and Hazel's encouraging words to keep her from brewing a war. The moment Jason stepped out of that flying... cargo, whatchamacallit; she knew well not to throw herself at him. Sure, they were friends and sure, she might have had a certain attraction towards him, but she knew how to keep her distance and of all people to show vulnerability towards, Jason Grace would have to be the last person to experience it live.

She didn't like how people continually push her towards him within this fateful day. The praetor knew better than to show compulsion and she wasn't going to let her friends force her to speak with him like she didn't lose him. Everybody seemed excessively perked up of the fact that he's back, except her... but why? A Cherokee girl is the reason why. One look at the two hand in hand is enough to brew gossip and to put her to shame, knowing that most co-praetors end up together. From afar, Reyna could see how happy he was towards his new friends. She didn't bother to know the Cherokee girl's name because she couldn't give two cents of _stercus. _It was none of her business to interfere with whatever Jason's relationships are, but it pisses her off on how he showcases his disregard for his old friends - his _real _friends.

The sudden unfathomable realization had hit her that ever since Jason left, she had never been the same.

A warm hand landed on her shoulder and beyond instinct, she grabbed the hand and almost twisted it if it hadn't been for a familiar wail of pain. Reyna turned only to find Gwendolyn biting her lip anxiously. With much cognizance, she let go of the blonde's hand and muttered an apology.

Gwen massaged her wrists before smiling sadly at the praetor, "I guess I should apologize. Perhaps calling your name might have been better. But anyway..." she trailed off, staring at the direction that was two tables from them. Reyna knew better than to follow the blonde's eye trail. "Jason said he wanted to talk to you."

This caused Reyna to roll her eyes in an un-praetor like way. "If he wishes to speak to me, why not direct me personally instead of having you to send the message?"

"Well, Cherokee girl might find out, as he said." Gwen blushed in embarrassment as she looked down. "He said he wanted to talk to you privately. Praetor to praetor."

"As far as I _remember_, he has left his praetor-ship for the Greek camp, Gwendolyn." Reyna spat coldly, her reverence slowly losing its control. She sighed and began to rub her forehead with her hand in frustration. Being so viciously bitchy wasn't going to get here anywhere. "I do not wish to speak with him."

"But Reyna..." Gwen coward away when she saw the death glare of the praetor. The blonde swallowed before saying in a small voice, "He insists."

Reyna pursed her lips in a thin line before closing her eyes and finally said in dispute, "_Fine_. Where, may I ask?"

Gwen's voice stuttered, "At the Temple Hill... Bellona's. He said to meet him there as soon as possible.""

"That bastard," The praetor mumbled under her breath before standing up. "Clear the temple hill of demi-gods and lares. I don't want _anybody_, living or dead hearing our conversation. Rumors are enough to make me want to set people on fire." Gwen nodded before she was dismissed.

Reyna rose from her seat and her assembled her toga to its right position before leaving her rather happy table where Frank and Hazel were playing a game of "Which Kool-aid color can drive Dakota crazy?". She exited the mess hall before traveling on foot towards the other side of the camp. Jason Grace better have a reason to have her walk all the way up to a freaking Temple or else she'll have to bury him alive, regardless of their antecedent friendship.

* * *

The afternoon sun wasn't much of a bother to Reyna. In fact, she was so used to the heat; everybody began to wonder why she never got a tan. As she crossed the bridge of Little Tiber, she had began to formulate her initial reactions to having the _praetor to praetor _talk with Jason. It's not that she hates him. Oh, by the gods, who was she kidding? Of _course _she hates him! She hated him ever since he left the Camp and now, she hated him more knowing that he's got new friends and eurgh, a daughter of Venus for a girlfriend. Jealous? Reyna Miles, praetor of New Rome _jealous_? Perhaps, but only because she cared for him. Well, _used _to care about him. She had missed him, despite how furious she is with him. Leaving her to shoulder a job for two, who the Pluto does he think he is?

Her thoughts rambled on until she reached the top of the Temple Hill. The surroundings were nothing different for she always goes here every night to pray to her mother. It's about to turn different if Jason was added to the set up. With much confidence, she trudged towards her mother's temple. As she grew closer, she could see the lean figure of a familiar blonde leaning against the wall of the temple. This caused the praetor to glare at him.

"Lightning _off _the Temple, **Grace**." Reyna pressed, ready to pounce on him. Her cold approach was replied with a boyish grin and a chuckle. Once she's reached him, Jason leaned off the wall and walked towards her.

The praetor took a step back to keep her distance before putting her arms on her chest. "What do you want?"

Jason's grin faded. "Reyna, can I please explain myself?"

"Fine." she spat notoriously. "This better be important. I have a Senate Meeting in exactly thirty minutes from now and a mountain of paper works just like Diablo's to report. And as far as I'm concerned, you have a quest to fulfill, yet again, away from your _home._"

The blonde demi-god ran his hand through his hair before beginning, "I'm sorry. I don't know what for. Maybe the fact that I've gone missing in action? All I know is that Hera switched up the leaders of each camp and..."

"I heard about the exchange of leaders," Reyna interrupted. "What I want you to explain are... your new friends."

"I met them in a bus. Well, I woke up in a bus and then they're just there. I didn't know their names and frankly, I barely even know them. Then Piper looked at me like I've lost my brain and everything just spiraled afterwards." Jason tried not to cringe at the sight of Reyna's glare once he mentioned Piper. "You have no idea how insane things have gone through with my life. I barely knew who I was Reyna. I lost my memories; all it had to take was to remove my very existence."

Reyna seemed to purse her lips. "So, Piper?"

Jason's piercing blue eyes darted towards Reyna's brown war-like eyes. "Reyna..."

She closed her eyes, relishing the way her name rolled from his lips. It was also a way to keep herself from crying. Her eyes were already feeling hot, tears forcing their way out. She scolded herself petulantly for she promised that she would _never _show vulnerability before someone like Jason, most especially Jason. Her chest had begun to tighten at the pain the conversation was causing her. He left her. He left her and unconditionally forced her to shoulder a job meant for two. _She had no one. _Looking at him was like rubbing salt on every battle scar she earned. The pain was inevitable and her control lost track when she felt herself choke.

Reyna turned her back on Jason and breathed out a sigh, calming herself. A tear had already slipped down her cheek and she quickly swiped the residue off. She blew out airs, but the more she did, the hotter her eyes seem to sting and the faster the tears were slipping. Everything was deaf by then as she silently let the tears flow. Who was she kidding? Even praetors cry and thank the gods she asked Gwen to clear the Temple Hill because anyone who had the chance to see her cry would take advantage of her leadership, knowing that she _does _have a soft spot. It will earn them chances of castrating her from her throne.

"Gods, Reyna," she heard the inaudible panic in Jason's voice before she was hauled to face him again. Her eyes widened at their distance before she put a hand on his chest and pushed him away from her, unfortunately, to no avail. Jason had a tight, yet conceivable grasp of her wrist and escape seemed impossible, well, ninety percent of the time, anyway. She refused to look him in the eye and decided to turn her gaze towards the horizon where she can see all of Camp Jupiter.

"Reyna, gods damn it, please don't cry." Jason's voice was laced with worry and apathy, which was the last thing she wanted to hear from this particular person. Pity. She could feel his hand slowly cup her cheek and she fought the urge to flip him over and throw him down the hill.

"Do you still remember me, Grace?" Her voice was stiff and if there was any sort of emotion to it, she didn't let it show.

"I do." He replied in a small voice. "My memories are vague, Reyna. I only know bits and pieces and every time I'm with Piper, I just feel guilty knowing that there's you. That there's history between us."

"The only history is the fact that we were there for each other, Grace." Reyna countered, still not looking at him. "And now, seeing that you've returned with a set of _Graecus_, I simply had no doubt that you'll set yourself on fire just to go back to Camp Half-Blood. Ever since you got here, you're so drowned in the fact that you're home; but you don't feel as if you are." This time, she eyed him and kept the compulsion of hitting him in control. "Whatever happened to sticking together? I can't even begin to ask you if you're still willing to be Praetor."

"I am!" Jason exclaimed as he slowly loosened his grip on Reyna. "Gods, I'm gone for months and the next thing I know you're _replacing _me!"

"You think you're the only one being replaced?" Reyna fumed as she drew away from him. "How's about you explain me about Piper? How the Pluto did _that _shit happen, huh?"

Jason ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "I don't even know you anymore!"

"You **never **did, Grace!" she seethed, glaring daggers at him. "You know, I got to admit, I'm glad it's over. All of this. All of you and me. From the very beginning, I knew that it was never going to work anyway."

"But you didn't have to cut me off, Reyna." Jason's voice was strangled and laced with pain. "You treat me like a stranger and you have no idea how tormented I am. You have no idea what I'm going through right now. I'm _trying, _Reyna - but you're not giving me the chance to!"

"Oh gods, you don't have to stoop so low about this!" Reyna threw her hands up in exasperation. "Fine, go ahead and do whatever that freaking chance I'm not giving you. Go on and improve your life or something." She breathed out heavily before eyeing him cautiously. "Just don't come running to me if you fuck up, Grace; because I don't always have to clean up after you."

"Reyna..." Jason trailed off as he shook his head. "I want to be here. This is my home. I want my place back and the gods above know that."

"Then _prove _it." Reyna spat bitterly. Her tears have now died down, yet her eyes are still red from crying. "Prove to me that you're better than this. Prove your loyalty to the Romans. Prove to them that you _own _that gods damned throne beside me and that Percy can get his ass off your place."

"I can't prove it without you." Jason admitted and she arched a brow at him. "You know that we can't do things alone. We need each other."

"That's not true." she countered.

Jason neared her and placed her hands in his, looking her straight in the eyes. "Sometimes our independence is our downfall and you know that, Reyna. That's why they always have two Praetors, remember?"

His attempts to calm her down were doing her no good, however, she appreciated how he was trying and that was what Reyna wanted to tell herself over and over again. But the image of Piper usually comes up and within those moments, she had a struggle to have him regain her trust. She shook her head before mumbling, "You bastard."

The blonde demi-god seemed to smile at this before pulling Reyna to a hug. He blew out a small sigh of relief before whispering. "I need you, Reyna. It may not look like it, but the gods know that I do. And you need me."

"Plausible deniability?" Reyna seemed to laugh sadly about it as she wrapped her arms around Jason. "You're an asshole and I fucking hate you."

Jason chuckled as he kissed the top of Reyna's head before leaning his forehead against hers. "I know. But I'm the best asshole you'll ever have in your life."

Reyna hummed, "Damn right you are."

"I'm gonna try, Reyna." Jason smiled sadly. "If not for Camp Jupiter and New Rome, I'll try for you."

The praetor shook her head forced a small laugh. "I hate how sappy you are. Now, I believe you owe me jellybeans."

* * *

_Guess that I don't need that though_. _Now you're just somebody that I used to know._

* * *

A/N: Womp, suckish Jeyna story up there. I apologize if it doesn't have much. I tried my best to show a little less of Reyna's vulnerability because as far as I've read Jeyna stories, I didn't like how they show how weak Reyna can be towards Jason. So yes, here's my attempt. Reviews would be fully appreciated to help improve my writing and plot progressions.


End file.
